Ultimate Open House

See pictures from the event at our MySpace page UOH myspace page.

In his book, The Automatic Millionaire, David Bach lists several advantages of buying in a new development.  He says….

Big or small, house or apartment, if it’s new, chances are it’s been designed with an eye toward curb appeal.  That’s real estate jargon for the flashy features that make potential buyers want to whip out their checkbooks - things like bigger kitchens, more open space, larger closets, and bigger master baths.

This is important because when it comes time to sell (especially if you plan to do so within five years), you want to be offering a property that other people will find desirable.

Learn more at David’s website www.finishrich.com.

“High Performance” is a term you usually see associated with expensive cars. But more and more, it’s a term homebuilders are using to describe their houses.

A case in point is “The High Performance Home,” at 8230 S.W. Sorrento Road in Beaverton, one of more than 90 properties listed in this year’s Ultimate Open House home show.

Built by Lifestyle Homes, it is a model of energy efficiency, using computer-aided framing for greater stability and less waste, and providing healthy indoor air. Many of its innovative features were developed by Parr Lumber, which collaborated with Lifestyle Homes owner Mike Arnett on the home.  read more

SUSTAINABLE HOUSING PLANNING WORKSHOPS DURING TOUR AT “MORE THAN GREEN,” HOUSE #5 IN TOUR GUIDE

Award winning designer Paolo (Paul Scardina, IIDA) identifies how to get the high-performance house out of your head and into your life during two free More-Than-Green house planning workshops during the Ultimate Open House Tour on Sunday, April 27, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Each workshop is 60 minutes in duration and is held in the spare bedroom of “More Than Green,” house #5 in tour guide.

You will discover:
How to build a budget and form a balanced team
How to choose the best sustainable features
How to increase your market value
How to maximize space

Reservations: Call 503-222-1757 x 11, email ryan@paolodesigngroup.com, or simply drop by!

Additional Times and Locations for Paolo’s Workshop After the Tour:
Saturday, May 3rd 10:00 - 12:00 p.m., Workshop held @ LEE/Eastman Contemporary Design Studio across from Bridgeport Village at 18035 SW Lower Boones Ferry Road, Tigard, OR 97224. Saturday, May 31st 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Workshop held @ Northwest Children’s Theater and School in the auditorium of the historic Cultural Center, 1819 NW Everett, Portland, Oregon 97209 (free parking located in lot on Flanders St). Entertainment will be provided by the children’s theater. The event is free; however donations for the children’s theater are gladly accepted

Attractive resale value!

Life happens. You might have to relocate or you make a lifestyle change a couple short years after you move in. The good news is that newer homes are more attractive to prospective homebuyers because it’s their opportunity to buy a newer home without the price premium associated with new construction. Better yet, you’ve already purchased all the appliances and upgrades for the home and many parts of the home are still under warranty, making the home a great inclusive value. This will compare favorably to older resale homes that may require renovation or updating to make it livable for the modern homebuyer.

The average sales price of a Portland home is currently $342,600, up $15,900 or 4.7% over last year where the average sales price was $326,700. Currently, the median sales price of a Portland home is $280,000. Compare that to a year ago where the median sales price was $279,000.  read more

They come but they don’t go.

In the way New York drew artists in the ’50s, this city at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers seems to exert a magnetic lure on talented chefs who come from almost anywhere else and decide to stay right here. About the hardest thing to find in Portland these days is a homegrown chef.

Portland may seem an unlikely place for such status, a city destined to play second string on the West Coast to San Francisco and Seattle. But in the last five years or so Portland has grown and evolved.  read more

For a baby boomer, driving through the residential streets off Southwest Dosch Road in Portland is a nostalgic trip through time. Low-slung ’50s-era ranches and split-level homes, big yards, tall trees and a well-established park combine to paint a rose-tinted picture of growing up.

Builders Sam Grosz and Jason Zidell, partners in the Argonaut Group, found a lot at 3640 S.W. Boundary St. in this area of the Bridlemile neighborhood, and are in the final stages of building what they call the “More Than Green” home.

A joint effort with Paolo Scardina, owner of Paolo Design Group, the home is one of more than 90 properties featured in the 2008 Ultimate Open House home show.  read more

Many of the homes on the Ultimate Open House have special give aways that you can enter to win.  Check out our news page for a list of special promotions at homes this weekend.  Find out were you can learn, eat, interact and WIN!

Biogas is created when manure is placed in a machine called a “biodigester,” designed to capture methane gas released by decomposing material. A dairy farmer, for example, could use a biodigester to help resolve a farms biggest solid waste problem: manure disposal. When properly treated, biogas can be used to generate electricity or eventually added to a pipeline system and used in homes and businesses.

Currently, biogas can be produced only in limited quantities, and NW Natural hopes that through Smart Energy biogas can become a viable, renewable energy source for our region. By capturing the methane from manure, biogas projects can protect the atmosphere from substantial emissions of a gas strongly associated with climate change.

A typical cow produces 120 pounds of waste each day, which as it decomposes, releases methane gas. There are approximately 120,000 dairy cows in Oregon on 350 dairy farms. That means that over 14.4 million pounds of cow waste is generated in Oregon every single day. Methane from manure is a 23 times more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.  Biodigesters can keep manure and bacteria out of streams, lakes and groundwater.  Small local farms benefit by receiving financial support and by generating energy for their own use.  Biodigesters also eliminate odors and other issues associated with manure collection.